1. Well, we begin the show with a new set of challenges. This time we’re re-enacting joust from American Gladiators. As much as I’m not into this, at least its better than last week’s impromptu promo contest. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind the contest if it was legitimate but the guys are making this appear so fake that it’s killing the crowd.
2. I believe that we have three more weeks before the first elimination occurs. At this rate it will likely be Tarver who is just collecting a paycheck at this point.
3. Since the rankings are not updated on a weekly basis like an AP poll would be for college football or basketball, all of Cole’s discussion of people moving up or down is rather pointless.
4. It takes us 23 minutes of airtime to get to our first match. In a one hour show that is unforgiveable since there isn’t as much time to have long, drawn out segments and video packages.
5. Not a very good match between Otunga and Gabriel. The match was slow paced and ONCE AGAIN we get a match that ends in a rollup. Is Barry Horowitz coaching the rookies backstage or something on the side?
6. Well it looks like we’re building to an angle between R-Truth and Otunga too. The problem is that we’ve already got a “pro and rookie don’t get along” angle involving Bryan the Miz and Young and Punk. It comes across as lazy booking to do it for a third time.
7. I guess it’s not enough for Cole to bury Bryan because of his record on commentary. He has to move on and make fun of his vegan diet now too.
8. I loved the way that CM Punk referenced Young’s finaling in the “stick fighting thing.” How can he make the Sheffield-Tarver encounter a trip threat match? Did he win a NXT GM straw poll in the back?
9. I’m bummed that we didn’t get to see Wade Barrett’s new theme music.
10. This was a really, really bad show this week. The pacing of these shows is awful as the “competitions” at the beginning really suck the heat out of everything and the matches aren’t very exciting since it’s taking forever to eliminate the rookies. Once the eliminations start happening, this show might start going somewhere but it’s clear that WWE creative is in a rut right now and is just repeating the same formula week in and week out. They seem hell bent on pushing Heath Slater down our throat, though.
